Decontamination apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

Provided is a decontamination apparatus that includes a motorized base with a transport system that is operable to autonomously move the decontamination apparatus. A plurality of UVC bulbs, each of which emits UVC light, are supported at a vertical elevation above the motorized base. A controller controls operation of the transport system to move the decontamination apparatus along a desired route while the UVC bulbs are energized during a decontamination process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This disclosure relates generally to a system, apparatus, and method fordecontaminating a plurality of surfaces, and optionally gatheringinformation on ultraviolet energy at a variety of physical locations ina given environment and providing that information to a collection pointfor graphic display, analysis, and recording.

2. Description of Related Art

High touch environmental surfaces in healthcare facilities arerecognized as significant sources of pathogens. To avoid exposingpatients in such environments to infectious organisms, medical personnelworking therein are required to take precautionary measures to disinfecthigh touch surfaces. One such measure is to expose entire rooms, inwhich the high touch surfaces reside, to disinfection technologies thatemploy high doses of ultraviolet light in the C spectrum, UVC. Thesehigh doses may be from continuous or pulsed sources, but one challengewith these technologies is to ensure that substantially all surfaces aresuitably exposed to the UVC to achieve the desired level of pathogenreduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus forexposing surfaces in a room to a sufficient level of UVC light toachieve a predetermined level of pathogen reduction on the surfaces.Such a system and method can optionally utilize a plurality ofrelatively low-power UVC light sources that are automaticallyrepositioned to expose to UVC light various surfaces that are originallyshielded from the UVC light while the decontamination apparatus ispositioned at a starting location within the room.

The method and apparatus can optionally utilize sensors that, in realtime, detect and provide meaningful data on the intensity experienced atgiven points and to record these data for purposes of qualifying andimproving the efficacy of disinfection efforts. Such a method andapparatus can capture a plurality of data points of UVC intensity,optionally simultaneously and/or concurrently, present the data in realtime, record the data for future analysis, and improve the accuracy andquality of delivered disinfection technology for use in medicalapplications.

According to one aspect, the subject application involves adecontamination apparatus that includes a motorized base with atransport system that is operable to move the decontamination apparatus.A plurality of UVC bulbs that each emit UVC light are supported by thebase. A controller stores a learned route to be traveled by thedecontamination apparatus from a starting point to a destination duringa decontamination process and controls operation of the transport systemto move the decontamination apparatus along the learned route.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a methodof capturing UVC data points for use in a medical application. Themethod includes detecting UVC levels at various locations with at leastone sensor sensitive to UVC, each sensor having a communicationcapability to provide UVC intensity information to a central device.

According to another aspect, each UVC sensor is designed such that itmay be battery powered.

According to another aspect, each UVC sensor is designed such that itmay be temporarily affixed to a location where intensity measurement isdesirable.

According to another aspect, each UVC sensor is designed such that itmay be permanently affixed to a location that allows it to be poweredfrom a wall outlet.

According to another aspect, each UVC sensor is designed such that itmay only detect a specific band of energy.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves sensorsthat have a wide angle of sensitivity (e.g., at least X°) to input suchthat materially significant impinging UVC is measured even off thedirect axis.

According to another aspect, the central data collection point isdesigned such that it is able to monitor multiple sensor inputsimultaneously.

According to another aspect, the central data collection point isdesigned such that it can collect data form the sensors through wirelesscommunication.

According to another aspect, the central data collection point isdesigned such that it can report the collected data in various units ofmeasure.

According to another aspect, the central data collection point isdesigned such that it can report data collected in real time.

According to another aspect, the central data collection point isdesigned such that it can be customized to include data uniquelyidentified to a specific sensor, room number, operator, etc.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves a methodof capturing these UVC data points when used in a manufacturingapplication. The method includes multiple sensors sensitive to UVC witheach sensor having a communication capability to provide UVC intensityinformation to a central device.

According to another aspect, the subject application involves adecontamination apparatus that includes a motorized base comprising atransport system that is operable to move the decontamination apparatusover a floor. A plurality of UVC bulbs, each configured to emit UVClight, are supported at an elevation vertically above the motorizedbase. A sensor detects a marking on the floor defining a desired routeto be traveled by the motorized base during a decontamination process,and a controller controls operation of the transport system to move themotorized base supporting the plurality of UVC bulbs over the flooralong the desired route defined by the marking.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a UVCsensor;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the sensor operation;

FIG. 3 shows a graphic representation of the central collection pointdisplay and representative data fields;

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram graphically illustrating the connectivityand action between the sensors and the central collection point;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an autonomously-movabledecontamination apparatus;

FIG. 6 shows a partially-cutaway view of a motorized base of thedecontamination apparatus shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a decontamination apparatus comprising aplurality of independently-adjustable UVC bulbs supported by a motorizedbase;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of one set of UVC bulbs shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram schematically illustrating a method ofperforming a decontamination process;

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of anautonomously-movable decontamination apparatus including aforward-mounted spool;

FIG. 11 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a line sensorarranged to extend transversely across a cord on a floor;

FIG. 12 shows an alternate embodiment of a spool for collecting a cord;

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of a housing enclosing a spool that collectsa cord in a decontaminated state from an underlying floor; and

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of anautonomously-movable decontamination apparatus including arearward-mounted spool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

It is also to be noted that the phrase “at least one of”, if usedherein, followed by a plurality of members herein means one of themembers, or a combination of more than one of the members. For example,the phrase “at least one of a first widget and a second widget” means inthe present application: the first widget, the second widget, or thefirst widget and the second widget. Likewise, “at least one of a firstwidget, a second widget and a third widget” means in the presentapplication: the first widget, the second widget, the third widget, thefirst widget and the second widget, the first widget and the thirdwidget, the second widget and the third widget, or the first widget andthe second widget and the third widget.

In order to disinfect surfaces in healthcare facilities (e.g., beds inpatient rooms, tray tables, seats, etc.), high doses of UVC are providedfrom a source during an irradiation process. Currently, irradiationprotocols must be tested to ensure that each part of the area issufficiently disinfected. However, various layouts of rooms and shapesof furniture can make it difficult to expose each surface to bedecontaminated to an adequate level of UVC to achieve the desired levelof pathogen reduction. This often requires manually positioning acentrally-located, high-power UVC source at a desired location in theroom, activating the UVC source to perform irradiation at one location,once irradiation is complete and the source deactivated, manually movingthe source, and once again activating the source to irradiate again.This process is often repeated multiple times to ensure sufficientexposure of all surfaces to the UVC light, but is labor intensive andtime consuming, rendering such protocols impractical. Thus, the presentdisclosure is directed to a system, apparatus, and method forsequentially exposing various different surfaces to UVC light, andoptionally gathering information on ultraviolet energy at a variety ofphysical locations in a given environment and providing that informationto a collection point for graphic display, analysis, and recording.

One aspect of the present disclosure pertains to UVC sensors that canoptionally be positioned at various locations in a room with surfaces tobe decontaminated to sense the level of exposure to UVC light. Oneexample of a UVC sensor 1 is shown in FIG. 1. The UVC sensor 1 includesan optical sensor 2 that senses UVC light 3 and transmits a signalindicative of the intensity, power output, or other property of UVClight indicative of the sterilization effectiveness of that UVC light towhich the sensor 2 is exposed. The optical sensor 2 can be positioned atany suitable location where it is expected to be exposed to the UVClight transmitted by a UVC source, or where it is necessary to determinethe exposure of UVC light. In some embodiments, the UVC sensor can besensitive to only a specific, narrow band of UVC frequencies.Furthermore, it is desirable that the UVC sensor is capable of sensingUVC light at large incidence angles such that the sensor does not needto be directly in line of site of the UVC source.

In some embodiments, hook and loop straps 3, a magnetic mount 4, thelike, or some combination thereof may be provided in order to mount theUVC sensors 1 in a variety of locations and to a variety of objects. Invarious embodiments, the UVC sensors 1 may be temporarily mounted totest the efficacy of an irradiation protocol for a room layout. However,in other embodiments, it may be desirable to permanently mount the UVCsensors 1. Depending on whether a UVC sensor is temporarily orpermanently mounted, it may be desirable to have a removable,rechargeable, or wired power source such as a lithium ion battery.Further in this vein, FIG. 1 indicates an on/off power switch and powerLED indicator such that the UVC sensors can be turned on only during anirradiation process.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of the UVC sensor 1 operation. Accordingto the flow chart, a signal from the optical sensor 2 is passed to anopamp multiplier 5. Next, the signal is converted to a digital signal byan analog to digital converter 6, before the signal is multiplexed andtransmitted by a transmitter 7. As further illustrated in FIG. 4,multiple UVC sensors 1A, 1B, 1C may work together to generate and reportdata related to UVC irradiation. In some embodiments, each UVC sensor1A, 1B, 1C may transmit, via a wireless communication channel 9 (e.g.,IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, etc.) data directly to a tablet 8 or similarpersonal computing device, which can generate a graphical representationof the collected data for convenient viewing by a clinician. However, inother embodiments, the UVC sensors may transmit data to a centralcollection point. In such an embodiment, the sensors may only transmitdata to the central collection point in an industrial, scientific, andmedical (ISM) band. In this way, transmissions from the UVC sensors canbe on the order of megahertz, thereby saving power consumption at theUVC sensor. In contrast, WiFi and Bluetooth technologies, which areoften most compatible with personal computing devices, transmit ingigahertz bandwidths requiring additional power. The central collectionpoint may then collect all of the data from the UVC sensors and forwardit to a tablet or other computing device using WiFi or nearfieldBluetooth technologies.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of how the UVC sensor data may bedisplayed on a tablet or similar device. In this example, one section ofthe screen illustrates a bar graph 31 for illustrating the intensity oflight measured at each UVC sensor. Each bar 34 on the bar graph 31 canrepresent a UVC sensor. The bars may change color (e.g., green to yellowto red) indicating whether the detected UVC is at an adequate level. Insome embodiments, the bars 34 are customizable. For example, a first barmay represent a UVC sensor placed on a bed requiring one level of UVCirradiation. Another bar may represent a sensor placed on a wall acrossthe room requiring a second level of UVC irradiation. Accordingly, thecolor coding of each bar may be specific to the required customizedirradiation levels required. A table section 35 may indicate a currentirradiation level for each sensor and/or an irradiation intensityaccumulation over time (i.e., shown in Joules or Watts). Also shown is apie chart section 35 for showing similar data. Of course, the aboverepresents but a few examples of what data may be illustrated and howthat data be illustrated, but does not represent a limiting embodiment.Other data collected by the UVC sensor may be displayed in variousformats as known to those skilled in the art. The application fordisplaying the UVC sensor data may also comprise a settings screen(accessible by button 32, but not otherwise shown). As discussed above,in many embodiments the application on the computing device interfaceswith the UVC sensors and/or the central collection point using WiFi orBluetooth technologies, but any communication technology is envisionedwithin the scope of the present disclosure.

The embodiments described above utilize an array of sensors to detectthe extent to which different regions of a room are exposed to UVC lightemitted by a stationary decontamination apparatus. In addition todisplaying data, it is also envisioned that the UVC sensors could beused to automatically control a motorized decontamination apparatus thattravels to a plurality of different locations throughout the room. Thatis, for example, if one UVC sensor detects a less than adequate level ofUVC to achieve a predetermined level of pathogen reduction specified bythe user, it could transmit a signal that directs the decontaminationapparatus to autonomously move in such a way that the location of thereporting UVC sensor receives additional irradiation. For example, thedecontamination apparatus can travel along a straight-line path towardsthe requesting UVC sensor or along a programmed path as described hereinto approach the requesting sensor. Other embodiments are also envisionedthat use the UVC sensors as a safety mechanism during periods ofirradiation. That is, for example, if a UVC sensor detects UVC at a timewhen no irradiation is supposed to be underway, it may be used to alertall individuals in the area of the potentially-hazardous condition.

According to alternate embodiments, the decontamination apparatus 10 canbe mobile, autonomously transported to a plurality of differentlocations along a programmed route within a room by a motorized base 12,as shown in FIGS. 5-7, without feedback or other information from theUVC sensors influencing movement of the decontamination apparatus 10.Transporting the decontamination apparatus 10 as described herein allowsfor the decontamination apparatus 10 to expose surfaces (e.g., chair 15in FIG. 5) to UVC light while the decontamination apparatus 10 is at onelocation, and such surfaces are shielded from the UVC light emitted bythe decontamination apparatus 10 by a shroud 17 (FIG. 8) providedadjacent to the UVC lights 14 at a first location (e.g., where thedecontamination apparatus 10 is initially activated). For suchembodiments, the velocity at which the decontamination apparatus 10moves can be set slow enough to ensure all surfaces desired to beirradiated and rendered pathogen reduced along the way receive a dose ofUVC light suitable to achieve at least a predetermined level of pathogenreduction. In this manner, the UVC light can be focused on the surfacesof interest, delivering an intense dose to achieve the desired level ofpathogen reduction without necessarily requiring high-power UVC lightsthat broadcast UVC light indiscriminately within the room. Transportingthe decontamination apparatus 10 to a plurality of different locationsthroughout the room allows for the UVC-emitting bulbs 14 to bepositioned within close proximity (e.g., within five (5) feet, oroptionally within four (4) feet, or optionally within three (3) feet, oroptionally within two (2) feet, or optionally within one (1) foot) tothe surfaces being decontaminated. Thus, a plurality of UVC-emittingbulbs 14 that are relatively low power (e.g., unable to achieve adesired level of pathogen reduction such as a 1 log₁₀ reduction on thesurfaces in under ten (10) minutes when separated from the surfaces byat least three (3) feet), can be included as part of the decontaminationapparatus 10 instead of a central, high-power UVC bulb that broadcastsUVC light from a single location within the room to achieve pathogenreduction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the decontamination apparatus 10 is not stationary,but mobile. The decontamination apparatus 10 includes at least one, andoptionally a plurality of vertically-oriented and/or adjustableUVC-emitting bulbs 14 extending upwardly from the base 12. As shown inFIG. 5, the UVC bulbs 14 are supported, individually or in groups of twoor more, adjacent to a distal end of a plurality of adjustable arms 19.Each arm 19 includes a hinge 21 or other adjustable joint that allowsthe respective arm 19 to be articulated, adjustable in length or acombination thereof that allows the position and/or orientation of theUVC bulbs 14 to be adjusted. Each arm 19 can also optionally berotatable about a longitudinal axis of the segment extending verticallyupward from the base 12, in directions indicated generally by arrow 25.

An electric cord 16 is configured to be plugged at one end into aconventional AC mains wall outlet supplied with electric energy from apublic utility, for example, and is operatively connected to conductelectric energy from the outlet to a controller 18 (schematically shownin FIG. 6) disposed within the base 12. A plurality of wheels 20 arecoupled to the underside of the base 12, allowing the base 12, andaccordingly the Decontamination apparatus 10, to be rolled along thesurface of a floor. At least one, and optionally a plurality of thewheels 20 can optionally be pivotally coupled to the underside of thebase 12 to allow the decontamination apparatus 10 to be rolled aroundcorners and otherwise change directions of travel. At least one, andoptionally a plurality of the wheels 20 can optionally be arranged in afixed orientation relative to the base 12, and be drive by a motor 22 asdescribed below. At least one, and optionally a plurality of the otherwheels 20 can be pivotally coupled to the base 12. For such embodiments,one, but less then all of the motor-driven wheels can be operated at aspeed different than at least one other motor-driven wheel, causing thepivotal wheel(s) 20 to turn, allowing the base 12 to turn and move in avariable direction. According to yet other embodiments, the wheels 20can optionally be replaced by any suitable transportation devices suchas one or a plurality of motor-driven tracks that include a belt thattravels over a plurality of wheels, allowing the base 12 to be skidsteered, for example. However, for the sake of brevity and clarity, theembodiments utilizing wheels 20 to transport the base 12 will bedescribed in detail.

As shown in FIG. 7, the decontamination apparatus 10 includes aplurality of (three) independently-positionable sources including one ora plurality of UVC bulbs 14 that each direct UVC light toward thesurface(s) to be rendered pathogen reduced. The UVC bulbs 14 are said tobe independently positionable in that the position of each can beadjusted and maintained relative to the other UVC bulb(s) 14. Such adecontamination apparatus 10 can also optionally include an occupantsensor that determines whether the room 1 is occupied or not, and acontroller 116 that interferes with emission of the UVC light if theroom 1 is, or becomes occupied based on a signal from the occupantsensing system.

From the viewpoint illustrated in FIG. 8 looking up into a pair ofparallel bulbs 14 in the direction indicated by arrow 102 in FIG. 7, thebulb(s) 14 are coupled to a reflective shield 118 provided to aninward-facing surface of the shroud 17 that focuses the UVC light towardthe surface(s) 15 being decontaminated. The bulb 14 and/or reflectiveshield 118 can be pivotally coupled to a distal end of an articulatedarm 122 or other suitable support that allows the bulbs 14 and/or shield118, to be pivoted about a rotational axis in the directions indicatedby arrow 121 and otherwise positioned in a suitable position relative tothe surface to achieve the desired level of decontamination within apredetermined period of time (e.g., less than ten (10) minutes, lessthan eight (8) minutes, less than six (6) minutes, less than 4 (4)minutes, less than three (3) minutes, etc.), once activated. Theparallel bulbs 14 provided with a common shield 118 are independentlypositionable relative to the bulb(s) 14 supported by the other arm(s)122. An example of such repositionable bulbs is described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,095,633 to Dayton, which is incorporated in its entirety herein byreference.

According to the embodiment in FIG. 7, each arm 122 can include aportion including an adjustable length extending generally away from abase portion 125, which can be facilitated by an external member 124that telescopically receives an internal member 126, or other suitablelength adjustment mechanism (e.g, sliding track, etc . . . ). A lockingmember 127 such as a spring-biased pin urged toward a locking position,detent, etc . . . can be provided to one or both of the external andinternal members 124, 126 to maintain a desired length of the arm 122,once manually established. A hinge 128 or other connector suitable toallow angular adjustment of the arm 122 relative to the base 125 can bedisposed between the base 125 and the arm 122. A bendable joint 130 canalso optionally be provided anywhere along the length of the arm 122,such as adjacent to the distal end of the arm 122 where the bulb(s) 14is/are supported. The joint 130 can be formed from aplastically-deformable flexible material that can be manually bent toposition the bulb(s) 14, yet be sufficiently rigid to maintain theposition of the housing relative to the arm 122 once the bending forcehas been removed. Further, a hinge 132 can also optionally be positionedalong the arm 122 before and/or after the joint 130 to allow furtheradjustment of the position of the bulb(s) 14 to achieve the desiredcoverage of the surface to be decontaminated with UVC light. As with anyof the hinges described herein, the hinge(s) 132 can be selectivelylockable, meaning a locking member such as a set screw, for example, canbe loosened to allow the structures coupled to opposite sides of thehinge(s) 132 to be pivotally adjusted relative to each other. Once thedesired adjustment has been completed, the set screw or other lockingmember can be tightened to interfere with further pivotal adjustment ofthe structures relative to each other.

The base 125 supports the arms 122 at a desired elevation above thefloor of the room, and can optionally be mounted on an adjustableplatform 137 that rotates about a vertical axis in directions generallyindicated by arrow 129 in FIG. 5. The base 125 supports a controller 116that can be manipulated by a user to control operation of thedecontamination apparatus 10 (e.g., independently control operation ofeach bulb 14 to emit UVC light, optionally to cause one bulb 14 toremain energized longer than another one of the bulbs 14), andoptionally houses an on-board power supply such as a rechargeablebattery bank or circuitry for utilizing electricity from an AC mainssource such as a wall outlet supplied by an electric utility that can beused to energize the bulbs 14 and power the controller 116. A power cord16 can be plugged into an AC mains electric outlet supplied by anelectric power utility to obtain the electric energy needed to power thedecontamination apparatus 10.

Regardless of the embodiment of the decontamination apparatus 10, atleast one, and optionally each of the plurality of wheels 20 can bedriven by an electric motor 22 to allow the decontamination apparatus 10to travel autonomously, without the direct assistance of a human userwhile the decontamination apparatus 10 is underway. In other words, thedecontamination apparatus 10 can navigate along a path in a plurality ofdifferent directions, between a plurality of waypoints, in a room beingdecontaminated to render that room pathogen reduced without beingphysically contacted by a human user to steer the decontaminationapparatus 10 during the decontamination process, and optionally withoutreceiving remote control signals being manually input in real-time by ahuman operator.

To be rendered “pathogen reduced”, at least a portion, optionally lessthan all, of a biologically-active present on the exposed surface ofobjects exposed to the UVC light emitted by the UVC bulb(s) 14 isdeactivated. For instance, rendering objects in a room pathogen reduceddoes not necessarily require those objects to be made 100% sterile, freeof any and all biologically-active organisms that can viably infect ahuman being. Instead, being rendered pathogen reduced requires a lowerlevel of biologically-active contagions viable to cause an infection toremain on the surface of the objects after performance of thedecontamination process herein than existed on those surfaces prior toperformance of the decontamination process. Also, deactivation of thebiologically-active contagions can include killing live contagions, orat least neutralizing their ability (e.g., rendering them no longerviable) to reproduce to an extent that results in an infection in ahuman exposed to the deactivated contagions.

According to other embodiments, decontaminated surfaces can be requiredto possess a lower level of viable or otherwise biologically-activecontagions than a threshold quantity permitted under U.S. Food and DrugAdministration requirements on objects dedicated for use in a sterilefield such as in an operating room during a surgical procedure.According to other embodiments, the decontamination process can berequired to kill or otherwise deactivate at least 99% of all living orotherwise biologically-active contagions present on the exposed surfacesimmediately prior to performance of the decontamination process torender those surfaces pathogen reduced.

According to yet other embodiments, achieving pathogen reductionamounting to a high-level disinfection of the surfaces in the roomutilizing the decontamination apparatus 10 can involve deactivation of asuitable portion of the biologically-active contagions to achieve atleast a 1 log₁₀ reduction of viable contagions on the object that remaininfectious (i.e., no more than 1/10th of the biologically-activecontagions originally present remain active or infectious at a time whenthe decontamination process is completed). According to yet otherembodiments, achieving high-level disinfection of the surfaces utilizingthe decontamination apparatus 10 can involve deactivation of a suitableportion of the biologically-active contagions to achieve at least a 3log₁₀ reduction (i.e., 1/1,000th) of viable contagions originallypresent on the surfaces exposed to UVC light. According to yet otherembodiments, achieving high-level disinfection of such surfaces caninvolve deactivation of a suitable portion of the biologically-activecontagions to achieve at least a 5 log_(in) reduction (i.e.,1/100,000th) of viable contagions thereon.

As shown in FIG. 6, an independently-controllable electric motor 22 isprovided to each of the wheels 20, however alternate embodiments caninclude a plurality of wheels 20 driven by a common electric motor 22through the use of a drivetrain (not shown). Yet other embodiments caninclude a steering mechanism (not shown) for controlling a direction inwhich the decontamination apparatus 10 travels, that allows fewer thanall of the wheels 20 to be driven by a motor. But for purposes of thisdisclosure, each of the wheels 20 is driven such that the direction inwhich the decontamination apparatus 10 travels can be controlled byselectively controlling operation of each of the motors 22 individually,at different speeds. Thus, when a first motor 22 is operated to driveits respective wheel at one speed, and a second motor 22 on an oppositeside of the base 12 drives its respective wheel at a faster speed, thenthe decontamination apparatus 10 is caused to turn toward theslower-driven wheel 20.

A schematic representation of the controller 18 is shown in FIG. 6. Forthe illustrated embodiment, the controller 18 includes a UVC controlcomponent 24 that selectively controls the delivery of electric energysupplied via the power cord 16 to the UVC-emitting bulb(s) 14. The UVCcontrol component 24 can include a timer that, upon expiration of apredetermined period of time, which can optionally be manually specifiedby a user, causes deactivation of the UVC-emitting bulb(s) 14.

According to alternate embodiments, one or more of the UVC sensorsdescribed above can optionally communicate, in real-time with anoptional communication component 26 provided to the controller 18 tolimit the duration of a decontamination process during which theUVC-emitting bulb(s) 14 is/are activated. For example, a plurality ofthe UVC sensors can be arranged in a room that is to be decontaminatedutilizing the decontamination apparatus 10. The decontaminationapparatus 10 can be placed in the same room and activated in a mode thatmaintains operation of the UVC bulb(s) 14 until all of the UVC sensorstherein have been exposed to a threshold minimum level of UVC lightemitted by the Decontamination apparatus 10. Each UVC sensor measuresthe extent of UVC exposure and, in response to sensing exposure to theminimum level of UVC light, transmits a wireless signal to be receivedby the communication component 26. Once all of the UVC sensors havetransmitted such a signal indicating adequate exposure to UVC light forthe decontamination process and the signals are received by thecommunication component 26, the communication component 26 transmits asignal to the UVC control component 24 which, in turn, deactivates theUVC bulb(s) 14.

Alternate embodiments of the communication component 26 can optionallyreceive signals that are used to control relocation of thedecontamination apparatus 10 using the wheels 20, as described below.For instance, the UVC sensors described above as being distributedthroughout a room can optionally emit signals indicative of the level ofUVC light to which those UVC sensors have been exposed. Such signals canbe received by the communication component 26 and utilized by thecommunication component 26 to determine whether there are UVC sensorswithin the room that have not been exposed to a sufficient level of UVClight to achieve the desired level of decontamination within regionsadjacent to the UVC sensors. Based, at least in part on such adetermination, the decontamination apparatus 10 can remain within closeproximity to the insufficiently-exposed UVC sensors until those sensorshave been exposed to a suitable level of UVC light to achieve thedesired level of decontamination before proceeding to a subsequentlocation.

According to alternate embodiments, the controller 18 can also include adrive control component 28 that controls operation of the electricmotor(s) 22 driving the wheels 20 based on a plurality of waypointsstored by a computer-readable memory forming a portion of a memorycomponent 30. Each waypoint establishes a location within a room orother environment where the decontamination apparatus 10 is to arriveautonomously as part of its journey during a decontamination process.The waypoints can optionally be saved by the memory component to reflecta generic pattern common to a plurality of patient rooms within ahospital, guest rooms in a hotel, or other commonly-configuredlocations. Thus, the decontamination apparatus 10 can be placed at astarting point common to each such room, and optionally labeled in eachsuch room, and activated in a decontamination mode that calls for thedecontamination apparatus 10 to travel to each waypoint autonomously tocomplete the decontamination process. Once the decontamination processis complete in one such commonly-configured room, the decontaminationapparatus 10 can be manually transported to the next commonly-configuredroom, placed at the starting point and reactivated in that mode to alsodecontaminate that room. This process can be repeated for each suchcommonly-configured room to be decontaminated. The memory component 30can optionally store different waypoints for different roomconfigurations, allowing an operator to press a button specific to agiven room to cause the decontamination apparatus 10 to autonomouslynavigate the waypoints specific to the button that was pressed.

According to other embodiments, the decontamination apparatus 10 can beplaced in a “learn” mode to allow an operator to manually enter thedesired waypoints for a specific room into the memory component 30. Inuse, as illustrated by the flow diagram of FIG. 9, the operator of thepresent embodiment can manually transport (e.g., push or otherwisedirectly control) the decontamination apparatus 10 to the starting pointof a route to be navigated by the decontamination apparatus 10 tocomplete a decontamination process at step S200. Once at the startingpoint, the operator can cause the decontamination apparatus 10 to enterthe learn mode at step S210 via an appropriate user interface, and thenmanually move the Decontamination apparatus 10, at step S220, along theroute to be autonomously traveled by the decontamination apparatus 10with the UVC-emitting bulb(s) 14 energized after the operator has leftthe room. The drive control 28 can include one or more sensors that canbe used to sense signals indicative of a heading (e.g., angular pivotingof the wheels 20 to determine a direction relative to the startingpoint) and the distance traveled (e.g., a timer that determines theduration for which the motor 22 would be operational to travel betweenwaypoints) until the final location is reached, as manually indicated bythe operator. This navigation information can be recorded by thecontroller 18 at step S230.

Upon reaching the final location to which the decontamination apparatus10 will travel as part of the decontamination process, the operator canidentify this location by terminating the learn mode via an appropriateuser interface at step S240. To conduct the decontamination process, theoperator can manually return the decontamination apparatus 10 to thestarting point at step S250, optionally arrange one or a plurality ofUVC sensors throughout the room at desired locations to ensure athorough decontamination, and initiate the decontamination process atstep S260 by selecting the learned navigation mode via an appropriateuser interface. Following the expiration of a predetermined period oftime sufficient to allow the operator to exit the room and close thedoor, the UVC control component 24 activates the UVC-emitting bulb(s) 14at step S270. Once the desired level of decontamination has beenachieved on the surfaces within the room exposed to the UVC lightemitted by the UVC bulb(s) 14 with the decontamination apparatus 10 inthe starting point, the drive control component 28 controls operation ofthe motor(s) 22 to move the decontamination apparatus 10 along the routelearned in the learn mode at step S280. Again, movement of thedecontamination apparatus 10 can optionally be influenced by, orindependent from feedback from one or more of the UVC sensors in theroom and received by the communication component 26, by a timer (e.g.,after remaining at the starting point for a predetermined period oftime, move onward), and/or any other factor indicative of a level ofdecontamination of surfaces near the starting point. The decontaminationapparatus 10 can utilize GPS navigational triangulation, a timer anddirectional sensor to activate the motor(s) 22 for known lengths of timein certain directions, and any other control factors during autonomoustransportation of the decontamination apparatus 10 along the learned (orpreprogrammed) route. The rate at which the decontamination apparatus 10travels can be sufficient to achieve the desired level ofdecontamination as the decontamination apparatus 10 moves, and/or thedecontamination apparatus 10 can stop at one, a plurality or all of thewaypoints learned in the learn mode to achieve the desired level ofdecontamination of the exposed surfaces. Upon reaching the finaldestination for that learned route, the UVC bulbs are de-energized tocomplete the decontamination process.

Instead of returning the decontamination apparatus 10 to the start pointwhere the learn mode was initiated at step S210 to prepare thedecontamination apparatus 10 to proceed along the learned route, thedecontamination apparatus 10 can optionally remain at the final locationwhere the learn mode was concluded at step S240. According to thepresent embodiment, the learned navigation mode can be activated whilethe decontamination apparatus 10 is at this location (i.e., withoutreturning the decontamination apparatus 10 to where the learn mode wasinitiated), and the decontamination apparatus 10 will travel along thelearned route in reverse. In other words, the decontamination apparatus10 will begin operating in the learned navigation mode at step S260, theUVC bulbs will be energized at step S270, but the decontaminationapparatus 10 travels backwards along the learned route from the finallocation where the learn mode was concluded at step S240 toward thestarting point where the learn mode was initiated at step S210. Thus,the need to manually return the decontamination apparatus 10 to theoriginal starting point of the route can be avoided.

According to alternate embodiments, hospital rooms, hotel rooms, etc.,can optionally be provided with one or more markings on the floor (e.g.,a stripe of reflective material, dots of paint, etc . . . ) that can besensed by a sensor provided to the underside of the base 12. The sensorcan be operationally connected to communicate directional signals to thedrive control component 28 to cause selective operation of the motor(s)22 as appropriate to cause the decontamination apparatus 10 to followthe path defined by the markings on the floor. According to suchembodiments, the markings can eliminate the need to pre-programwaypoints into the memory component 30, instead allowing thedecontamination apparatus 10 to simply follow the markings along adesired path.

Yet another embodiment of the decontamination apparatus 10 is shown inFIG. 10. According to the present embodiment, the base 12 also includesa line sensor 141 that can sense colors, and transmit signalsdistinguishing between different colors that are sensed. The line sensor141 can optionally be supported by a pivotal arm 144 to support the linesensor 141 a sufficient distance in front of the base 12 to allow thebase 12 to follow the cord 16, and optionally be pivoted about a pivotpoint 146 to an upright orientation relative to the base 12 when not inuse. The electric cord 16 can include a flexible sheath that allows aportion of the cord 16 to be moved without disturbing another section ofthe cord 16 within at least two (2 ft.) feet of the portion that ismoved. A spool 142 is operable to wind the cord 16 at approximately thesame rate as the base 12 travels along a route following the cord 16.Depending on factors such as the material used to form the sheathing ofthe cord 16, the wire gauge of the electrical conductor within the cord16, and other such factors, the cord 16 can be plastically deformed toinclude a “kink,” “crimp” or other deformation of the cord's originallinear shape. For embodiments where the base 12 is traveling along aroute defined by the layout of the cord 16, such deformations can causethe base 12 to travel in undesired directions reflecting the deformedshape of the cord 16. In an effort to avoid, or at least mitigateformation of such deformations of the cord 16 to an extent that causesthe base 12 to deviate laterally by more than at least two inches, or atleast four inches, or at least six inches, or at least 8 inches, etc.,from a desired straight line route defined by the cord 16, theexternally-exposed material enclosing the electrical conductor(s) canoptionally be made of vinyl with suitable flexibility to be wound by aspool having a diameter of less than six (6 in.) inches withoutplastically deforming at room temperature. According to alternateembodiments, the vinyl sheath of the cord 16 can be suitably flexibilityto be wound by a spool having a diameter of less than five (5 in.)inches, or less than five (4 in.) inches without plastically deformingat room temperature to an extent that prevents the cord 16 from beingdeployed to define a substantially straight portion of a route alongwhich the base 12 is to travel while following the cord 16. Although thespool 142 is shown in FIG. 10 as being arranged at the front of themotorized base 12 (i.e., forward of the motorized base 12 travelingalong the cord 16), an alternate embodiment of the spool's location isshown in FIG. 14. According to that embodiment, the spool 142 isarranged at the rear of the motorized base 12 (i.e., behind themotorized base 12 traveling along the cord 16) to collect segments ofthe cord 16 after the motorized base 12 has traveled over thosesegments. It is believed that mounting the spool 142 at the rear of themotorized base 12 will cause less movement of the segment of the cord 16arranged on the floor near the line sensor 141 as the spool 142 collectsthe cord 16.

The cord 16 can also optionally include an electrical conductor ofsuitable gauge to supply the electric current required to energize theUVC bulbs 14 and the motors and/or controllers to transport the base 12along the cord 16, yet not be of such a low gauge (i.e., large diameter)that interferes with arrangement of the cord 16 on the floor 145 (FIG.5). For example, the cord 16 can include a stranded set of wires orother suitable electrically-conductive material as low as 14 gauge, oras low as 16 gauge, or as low as 18 gauge, etc., without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

According to alternate embodiments, the spool 142 about which the cord16 is to be wound when collected can optionally have a suitably largediameter to avoid forming kinks or other plastic deformation of the cord16 as a result of prolonged storage at room temperature. Such a spool142 can be used with or without the flexible cord that resists plasticdeformation described above, and can be configured to collect and storecords 16 having lengths of at least twenty five (25 ft.) feet, andoptionally at least thirty five (55 ft.) feet, at least fifty (50 ft.)feet, or optionally up to one hundred (100 ft.) feet. For example, thespool 142 about which the cord 16 is to be wound can optionally have around cross-sectional shape, and be at least one (1 ft.) foot indiameter, or at least six (6 in.) inches in diameter, or at least three(3 in.) inches in diameter. According to alternate embodiments, thespool 142 can include a plurality of round hubs 147 (FIG. 12) aboutwhich a belt 149 can extend to form a generally-oval shaped spool 142about which the cord 16 is to be wound. Any desired configuration of thespool 142 that avoids plastic deformation of the cord 16 when deployedas described below to define the route can be utilized without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure.

The winding rate of the spool 142 can be variable based on the speed ofthe motor-driven wheel(s) 20, as determined based on a signal from thedrive control 28 shown in FIG. 7, based on a sensed rate of travel basedon a signal from the line sensor 141, based on a calculated rate atwhich the base 12 is traveling from GPS signals, or based on any othersensed or calculated value indicative of the rate at which the base 12is moving along the cord 16. The rate at which the base 12 is turning orchanging direction as determined based on the sensed layout of the cord16 can also be factored into the rate at which the spool 142 is rotatedto pick up the cord 16. For example, the base 12 can be configured totravel at a rate along the cord 16 that ensures exposure of the surfacesbeing exposed to, and decontaminated by the UVC light emitted by the UVCbulbs 14 receives a suitably dose of UVC light to achieve the desiredlevel of pathogen reduction. Specific examples of the rates the base 12can travel along the cord 16 include rates that ensure the specificsurfaces being decontaminated are exposed to a suitable intensity of UVClight for at least thirty (30 sec.) seconds, or at least sixty (60 sec)seconds, or at least ninety (90 sec.) seconds, etc. to achieve thedesired level of pathogen reduction.

Regardless of the dimensions of the spool 142 and configuration of thecord 16, the spool 142 can optionally include a housing 157 thatsubstantially encloses at least one, and optionally a plurality of UVCbulbs 159, as shown in FIG. 13, which emit(s) UVC light to decontaminatethe cord 16 as it is being collected from the underlying floor 145 bythe spool 142 as the base 12 travels along the length of the cord 16.For the illustrated embodiment, the housing 157 defines an interiorspace 158 in which the spool 142 is pivotally mounted to rotate in acounterclockwise direction (indicated generally by arrow 165) in theperspective of FIG. 13 to collect the cord 16, and in a clockwisedirection in the perspective of FIG. 13 to allow the cord 16 to bedeployed from the spool 142. The housing defines an aperture 167 throughwhich the cord 16 enters the housing 157, and a vestibule chamber 169 inwhich the one or more UVC bulbs 159 are disposed. According to theembodiment shown in FIG. 13, the UVC bulbs 159 are arranged in thevestibule chamber 169 such that a portion of the housing 157 separatesthe UVC bulbs 159 from the underlying floor 145 to protect the UVC bulbs159 against being impacted from below the base 12. However, alternateembodiments can optionally include UVC bulbs 159 that are arranged at anelevation vertically beneath the interior space 158 to emit UVC lightthat impinges on the cord 16 as it is lifted from the floor 145 andwrapped around the spool 142. These UVC bulbs 159 can be exposed to thefloor 145 (e.g., unprotected by a portion of the housing 157 or othershield), or optionally shielded from below by a UVC transparent materialthat allows the UVC light from the UVC bulbs 159 to impinge on the floor145 as the base 12 travels along the route defined by the cord 16 oralong the route as learned or otherwise established elsewhere hereinduring a decontamination process. According to such alternateembodiments, the UVC light emitted by the UVC bulbs 159 can alsooptionally achieve the desired level of pathogen reduction on the floor145 as the base 12 travels. However, for embodiments where the base 12follows the route defined by the cord 16, the UVC light emitted by theUVC bulbs 159 achieve the desired level of pathogen reduction on theexposed surfaces of portions of the cord 16 as those portions travelbetween the floor 145 and the interior space 158. In other words, theportion of the cord 16 that has been elevated off the floor 145 but hasnot yet entered the interior space 158 will be rendered pathogen reducedas a result of being exposed to the UVC light from the UVC bulbs 159.

UVC light can negatively affect the integrity of the exposed surfaces ofthe cord 16 that are continuously exposed to UVC light for prolongedperiods of time. To protect against such prolonged exposure of the cord16 to UVC light, the housing 157 can also include a light shield 161that is substantially opaque to UVC light. The light shield 161interferes with the transmission of the UVC light from the UVC bulbs 159into the interior space 158, where the cord 16 is stored on the spool142, yet allows the cord 16 to enter the interior space 158 while beingcollected. Illustrative embodiments of the light shield 161 includeopposing bristles that extend a sufficient distance from opposingsurfaces to overlap each other within the aperture through which thecord 16 enters the interior space 158. The cord 16 can temporarilydeform such bristles to enter the interior space 158, yet the bristlesconform sufficiently to block a majority (e.g., at least 50%, or atleast 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80%, or at least 90%, etc.) ofthe UVC light from the UVC bulbs 159 from entering the interior space158. Alternate embodiments of the light shield 161 can include aflexible and/or deformable membrane defining an aperture with dimensionsthat tightly conform to the external shape of the cord 16 that extendsacross the aperture through which the cord 16 enters the interior space158. However, any structure suitable to allow the cord 16 to enter theinterior space 158 while interfering with the entrance of UVC light fromthe UVC bulbs 159 into the interior space 158 can be utilized.

The externally-visible color of the cord 16 can be any desired colorthat does not match the color of the underlying floor 145 (FIG. 5) onwhich the cord 16 is to rest to define the route along which the base 12is to travel as described herein. In use, the cord 16 is removed fromthe spool 142 and plugged into the AC mains wall outlet in the room tobe disinfected. The portion of the cord 16 between the base 12 and thewall outlet can be arranged on the floor 145 to define the route alongwhich the base 12 is to navigate. Any excess length of cord 16 removedfrom the spool 142 can be retracted by the spool 142, or accumulatednear the wall outlet to mark the end of the route. A marker 156 of acolor, configuration or other property that can be sensed by the linesensor 141 can optionally be deployed over a portion of the cord 16arranged on the floor 145 to identify the end of the route.

The external color of the cord 16 can be a bright yellow, orange, orother suitable color that contrasts well with flooring commonly found inhealthcare facilities or other environments where the decontaminationapparatus 10 is to be used. As shown in FIG. 11, which is a sectionalview of the line sensor 141 taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 10, the linesensor 141 can include a plurality of photo-eyes 151 oriented with adownward sensory direction, illustrated by broken lines 155. Thephoto-eyes 151 can sense a color of the underlying floor 145 on whichthe cord 16 is deployed, and transmit a signal indicative of the sensedcolor to the drive control component 28. The color of the floor can besensed continuously, occasionally, or periodically, and the drivecontrol component 28 can optionally determine an average color of thefloor 145. As the base 12 moves forward over the cord 16 deployed on thefloor 145, the signals received by the drive control component 28averages the color of the floor 145 based on a plurality of valuessensed by the photo-eyes 151. Since the color of the cord 16 contrastswith the color of the floor 145, an individual sensed color value basedon the signal transmitted by one or more of the photo-eyes 151 indicatesthat the base 12 has begun to drift or otherwise deviate from the routedefined by the cord 16 on the floor 145. The drive control component 28can also determine which of the photo-eyes 151 transmitted such a signaland adjust the operation of one or more drive motors 22 to correct thedirection in which the base 12 is traveling such that the color sensedby each of the photo-eyes 151 is indicative of the floor 145. Uponreaching the excess cord 16 near the wall outlet and/or the marker 156as detected by the photo-eye(s) 151, the drive control component 28terminates operation of the drive motor(s) 22 and the UVC controller 24terminates operation of the UVC bulbs 14, thereby concluding thedecontamination process along the route marked by the cord 16.

Although the line sensor 141 is described in detail herein as includingphoto-eyes 151 to detect and follow the cord 16, the present disclosureis not so limited. According to other embodiments, the line sensor 141can include probes that extend downwardly, generally toward the floor145 and are sensitive to contacts with the cord 16, for example. Forsuch embodiments, the probes can include at least left and right probes,arranged at opposite lateral sides of the line sensor 141, and the cord16 deployed on the floor. When the right probe contacts the cord 16, thebase 12 can control the direction of the base to travel in a directionthat separates the right probe from the cord 16, keeping the cord 16disposed between the left and right probes. The left probe can operatesimilarly, but cause the base 12 to travel in the opposite direction tokeep the cord 16 between the left and right probes.

Other embodiments of the line sensor 141 can include left and rightultrasonic sensors in place of, or in combination with the photo-eyes151. Like the probe embodiment, each ultrasonic sensor can sense theproximity of the cord 16 relative to the respective ultrasonic sensor,and the base 12 can change directions in response to the cord 16becoming too close to one of the ultrasonic sensors, and thereby too farfrom the other ultrasonic sensor. Accordingly, the base 12 can be drivento keep the cord 16 in a middle region between such sensors.

Another embodiment of the line sensor 141 can include one, a plurality,or an array of current sensors that senses an electric current beingconducted through the electrical conductor(s) of the cord 16 to powerthe base 12 and/or UVC bulbs 14, 159. Based on the magnitude of thecurrent sensed by each one of the current sensors, and the position ofthe respective sensors that sensed the current magnitude along a widthof the line sensor 141, the position of a central region of the linesensor 141 relative to the longitudinal axis of the cord 16 can bedetermined, and a correction of the drive direction of the base 12 madeto cause the base 12 to follow the cord 16.

According to yet other embodiments, instead of or in combination withthe photo-eyes 151, the line sensor 141 can include a temperature sensoror a plurality of temperature sensors along a width of the line sensor141 arranged substantially perpendicular across the longitudinal axis ofthe cord 16. The temperature sensor(s) can be sensitive enough to detecta thermal response of the cord 16 to conducting electricity duringoperation of the decontamination apparatus 10 as part of adecontamination process. Such a line sensor 141 can be configured to,along with the base 12, follow a thermal signature of the cord 16conducting electricity relative to a thermal signature of the underlyingfloor 145. Although the specific structure and/or sensor for sensing theroute defined by the cord 16 on the floor is described herein in detailas a photo-eye 151 for the sake of brevity and clearly describing theinvention, it is to be understood that any suitable sensor and/orstructure can be used in place of, or in addition to the photo-eyes 151to cause the base 12 to follow the cord 16.

For any of the embodiments above where the decontamination apparatus 10is mobile, the base 12 or other portion of the decontamination apparatus10 (e.g., any portion of the arms 19, shroud 17, bulbs 14, etc.) canoptionally be equipped with a proximity sensor that utilizes ultrasonicwaves, optical sensors, etc . . . to detect when any portion of thedecontamination apparatus 10 approaches a foreign object (e.g.,furniture in the room, medical equipment on the floor, etc . . . ) andis about to make physical contact with that foreign object. Theproximity sensor can be operatively connected to transmit a signal tothe drive control component 28 which, in turn, can deactivate themotor(s) 22 and stop the decontamination apparatus 10 before thedecontamination apparatus 10 actually makes contact with the foreignobject. Impending contact with a foreign object can also optionally begrounds to deactivate the UVC-emitting bulb(s) 14, thereby prematurelyterminating the decontamination process. Under such circumstances, theoperator can optionally be informed of premature termination of thedecontamination process by a visible and/or audible indicator providedto the Decontamination apparatus 10, via a remote control outside of theroom being decontaminated in response to receiving a signal transmittedby the communication component 26, simply by the position of thedecontamination apparatus 10 at the unexpected location wheredecontamination was prematurely terminated instead of at the known endof the route, or via any other indicator.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of this invention. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and alterations within the scope of the present invention.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A decontamination apparatus comprising: amotorized base comprising a transport system that is operable to movethe decontamination apparatus over a surface; a plurality of UVC bulbsthat emit UVC light supported by the motorized base; a power cord thatis extendable from the motorized base, wherein the power cord isflexible to be laid onto the surface and define a desired route to betraveled by the motorized base; a cord sensor that detects a quality ofthe power cord defining the desired route on the surface; an adjustablesupport that couples the cord sensor to the motorized base, wherein atleast a portion of the adjustable support is adjustable relative to themotorized base to support the cord sensor at a plurality of differentpositions relative to the motorized base; and a controller incommunication with the cord sensor to (i) receive a signal indicative ofthe sensed quality of the power cord transmitted by the cord sensor, and(ii) control operation of the transport system to move the motorizedbase supporting the plurality of UVC bulbs over the surface along thedesired route based on the received signal.
 2. The decontaminationapparatus of claim 1, wherein the cord sensor detects an electriccurrent conducted by the cord as the quality, and the signal transmittedby the cord sensor is indicative of the detected electric current. 3.The decontamination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bulbsare adjustably coupled to the base to be independently-positionablerelative to each other.
 4. The decontamination apparatus of claim 1,wherein the adjustable support comprises an arm that is pivotallycoupled to the motorized base.
 5. The decontamination apparatus of claim4, wherein the arm is pivotally adjustable relative to the motorizedbase between: (i) a first orientation in which the cord sensor issupported at a first position that is spaced apart from the motorizedbase, and (ii) an upright orientation in which the cord sensor issupported at a second position relative to the motorized base that isdifferent from the first position.
 6. The decontamination apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of different positions where the cordsensor is supported by the adjustable support comprise a first elevationabove the surface forward of the motorized base in a direction themotorized base travels along the desired route, and a second elevationabove the surface, wherein the second elevation is different than thefirst elevation.
 7. The decontamination apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a retractor that collects the cord as the motorized basetravels along the desired route during a decontamination process.
 8. Thedecontamination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the retractor ispositioned to collect portions of the cord behind the motorized base,after the motorized base has traveled over the portions of the cordalong the desired route.
 9. The decontamination apparatus of claim 1further comprising an additional UVC bulb arranged to emit a suitablequantity of UVC light onto portions of the cord being collected from thesurface to decontaminate the portions of the cord.
 10. Thedecontamination apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a housing thatdefines an aperture through which the cord is collected by a retractor,wherein the additional UVC bulb is arranged adjacent to the aperture toexpose the portions of the cord passing through the aperture to the UVClight emitted by the additional UVC bulb.
 11. The decontaminationapparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises an interior spacein which the retractor stores the portions of the cord that have beencollected from the surface.
 12. The decontamination apparatus of claim11 further comprising a light shield that interferes with transmissionof at least a portion of the UVC light emitted by the additional UVCbulb into the interior space of the housing.
 13. The decontaminationapparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configurable into alearn mode and, in the learn mode, stores the desired route in a memorycomponent by: receiving input indicating that the motorized base is at afirst location along the desired route, receiving data collected by asensor that detects a path traveled by the motorized base while thecontroller is in the learn mode, and receiving input indicating that themotorized base has arrived at a second location along the desired route.14. The decontamination apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller isfurther configured to control operation of the transport system to causethe motorized base to autonomously travel from the first location to thesecond location along the desired route during a decontaminationprocess.
 15. The decontamination apparatus of claim 13, wherein thecontroller is further configured to control operation of the transportsystem to cause the motorized base to autonomously travel from thesecond location to the first location along the desired route during adecontamination process.
 16. A method of facilitating autonomousmovement of a decontamination apparatus, the decontamination apparatuscomprising: (i) a motorized base that supports a plurality of UVC bulbs,(ii) a memory component that stores a desired route to be traveled bythe motorized base, and (iii) a controller, the method comprising:receiving, with the controller, input indicating that the motorized baseis positioned at a first location; receiving, with the controller, datacollected by a sensor that detects movement of the motorized base alonga path from the first location; receiving, with the controller, inputindicating that the motorized base has arrived at a second location; andstoring, in the memory component, the path traveled by the motorizedbase between the first location and the second location as the desiredroute based on the data collected by the sensor.
 17. The method of claim16 further comprising, in response to receiving an instruction toconduct a decontamination process: causing the plurality of UVC bulbs tobe energized; and controlling operation of a transport system providedto the motorized base to cause the motorized base to navigate thedesired route in a direction from the first location to the secondlocation.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of UVC bulbsare energized after a predetermined period of time has elapsed followingreceipt of the instruction to conduct the decontamination process,wherein the predetermined period of time is suitably long to allow anoperator who issued the instruction to conduct the decontaminationprocess to exit a room in which the decontamination apparatus islocated.
 19. The method of claim 16 further comprising, in response toreceiving an instruction to conduct a decontamination process: causingthe plurality of UVC bulbs to be energized; and controlling operation ofa transport system provided to the motorized base to cause the motorizedbase to navigate the desired route in a direction from the secondlocation to the first location.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein theplurality of UVC bulbs are energized after a predetermined period oftime has elapsed following receipt of the instruction to conduct thedecontamination process, wherein the predetermined period of time issuitably long to allow an operator who issued the instruction to conductthe decontamination process to exit a room in which the decontaminationapparatus is located.